Breeders' Cup: Friday attendance, all-sources handle see decline

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LEXINGTON, Ky − All-sources handle on Friday’s 10-race card at Keeneland, featuring five Breeders’ Cup races, was $53,244,221, a 14.1 percent decrease from last year’s corresponding card held at Del Mar which handled $62,008,354.

There were 100 betting interests on last year’s 10-race card at Del Mar compared to 96 on Friday’s card at Keeneland.

Further, all-sources handle on the five Breeders’ Cup races − all for 2-year-olds − was $39,807,102, down 3.4 percent from last year’s figure of $41,239,773 handled at Del Mar. Despite nine scratches after entries (not including also-eligibles) from the five Breeders’ Cup races, there were 56 betting interests on those races Friday compared to 53 betting interests for the five BC races run last year on Friday.

The all-sources handle was the lowest since $51,409,606 was handled on the 2020 Breeders’ Cup held at Keeneland. That was the COVID year when attendance was limited and not reported.

Attendance Friday at Keeneland was 35,829, a 19.1 percent increase over the 30,059 who attended last year’s Breeders’ Cup Friday card. On-track handle Friday was $5,944,634, down 4.3 perecent from last year’s figure of $6,216,798.

In 2022, the last year Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup, all-sources handle was $66,141,766, a record for a Breeders’ Cup Friday card. Attendance that year was 39,851.

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